This is a record of my journey as a Muslim. I used to be Catholic and belonged to a missionary organisation. After my conversion, I sat on the board of a Muslim converts' organisation and specialised in da'wah programmes, convert management, interfaith issues and apostasy cases. I am an initiate of a Sufi order. As such, the articles and writings tend to cover these areas.
All the Arabic and graphics could not have been done without the help of my wife, Zafirah.

Saturday, 11 September 2010

Touching the Maqam of the Prophet (s.a.w.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

It is written in Imam adz-Dzahabi’s (r.a.) Mu'jam ash-Shuyukh
that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (r.a.) was
asked about touching the Prophet's (s.a.w.)
grave and kissing it and he saw nothing wrong with it. His son, 'Abdullah (r.a.) related this from him. He said. if it is asked, ‘Why did the companions
not do this?’ we reply, ‘Because they saw him with their very eyes when he was
alive, enjoyed his presence directly, kissed his very hand, nearly fought each
other over the remnants of his ablution water, shared his purified hair on the
day of the greater pilgrimage, and even if he spat it would virtually not fall
except in someone's hand so that he could pass it over his face. Since we have not had the tremendous fortune
of sharing in this, we throw ourselves on his grave as a mark of commitment,
reverence, and acceptance, even to kiss it. Do you not see what Tsabit al-Bunani (r.a.) did when he kissed the hand of
Anas ibn Malik (r.a.) and placed it
on his face saying, ‘This is the hand that touched the hand of the Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.)"? Muslims are not moved to these matters except
by their excessive love for the Prophet (s.a.w.),
as they are ordered to love Allah (s.w.t.)
and the Prophet (s.a.w.) more than
their own lives, their children, all human beings, their property, and Paradise
and its maidens. There are even some
believers that love Abu Bakr (r.a.)
and 'Umar (r.a.) more than
themselves.”

In this, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (r.a.) was referring to the
account of ‘Urwah ibn Mas'ud (r.a.‎). He was a chieftain of Banu Thaqif of Ta’if
who became a companion of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
later. He was one of the first people
from his tribe to accept Islam, and he was killed by his fellow
chieftains while preaching Islam in his home city.

He was one of the notables of Arabia who entered the
negotiations regarding the peace of Hudaybiyyah on behalf of the Quraysh. ‘Urwah ibn Mas'ud (r.a.‎) returned to his people and said, "By Allah, whenever
Allah's Apostle spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them who
would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them they would carry his
orders immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the
remaining water; and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and
would not look at his face constantly out of respect.”

In a hadits reported
in Swahih Muslim, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) mentioned that ‘Urwah ibn Mas'ud
(r.a.‎) resembled Jesus (a.s.) closest in appearance. He was very white with reddish cheeks, tall
with dark black hair and eyes.